Do we look after our necks enough?

The skin on your neck and décolletage is delicate. If you’ve exposed it to sun, smoked, if you haven’t cleansed, exfoliated and moisturised it the way you have your face, the chances are it’s crêpey and wrinkled.

And it’s not just women over 50 who suffer from this; men acquire the turkey-neck look too.

We all know what happens as we age –  we produce less collagen so our skin becomes less firm and plump, our  ability to retain water diminishes and women produce less oestrogen, which has an impact on cellular activity. Wrinkles happen due to the loss of skin elasticity.

We often neglect the skin on our neck and chest but it is as delicate as the skin on our face – if not more so.   Neck and chest skin  is very thin and has fewer sebaceous glands, fewer lipids (essential to protect the skin from external factors) and fewer melanocytes (cells that produce the pigment that gives colour to your skin and protects it from sunlight).  A recent study revealed that older skin that hadn’t been exposed to the sun had about 3,800 genetic mutations whereas skin that had been exposed had around 10,000 mutations in the same genes (meaning the ageing process had happened more quickly).

So what’s the best way to reduce the inevitable effects of time on our necks? Well the obvious place to start is our skincare routine. While we pay attention to our faces, our necks are often left out of the regimen.

One of our favourite creams is like a godsend for the neck area. Payot Creme Riche Dermo-Apaisante – Comforting Nourishing Care is a rich, thick cream to apply morning and/or night on the face and neck.

Daily, this nourishing cream soothes and comforts the skin while decreasing the cutaneous irritability, ideal for supporters of wrapping textures.

Active ingredients:

• Algae polyuronides: Decrease the cutaneous irritability.
• Phytosqualane+Polydecenes: Comfort and protect.
• Trace elements: Sooth, moisturise and bring freshness.